Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-7drxs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-20T01:04:02.577Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Temporal Patterns of Emergence in Aquatic Insects

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

Philip S. Corbet
Affiliation:
Entomology Research Institute, Research Branch, Canada Department of Agriculture, Ottawa, Ontario

Abstract

In aquatic insects, emergence (ecdysis to the adult or subimaginal stage) varies widely in temporal pattern. The comparative study of this pattern is feasible and informative in orders such as Plecoptera, Ephemeroptera, Odonata, Diptera and Trichoptera in which all members of a population pass through the water-surface when emerging. Methods by which emergence rate can be measured are discussed. Four basic temporal patterns of emergence exist. Emergence may be (1) continuous with irregular fluctuations in rate; (2) rhythmic, with a lunar period; (3) sporadic, occurring at irregular intervals of a few days; or (4) seasonal. Examples of each of these patterns are given, and reference is made to the proximate and ultimate environmental factors which may be maintaining the patterns observed. Diurnal rhythms of emergence are excluded from consideration. When emergence is restricted seasonally in temperate latitudes, the degree of its synchronization within the emergence period varies widely but is usually constant and typical for a given species. This has provided the basis for an ecological classification of British Odonata, the validity of which is examined in the light of recent research.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1964

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adderley, E. E., and Bowen, E. G.. 1962. Lunar component in precipitation data. Science 137: 749750.Google Scholar
Aguesse, P. 1955. Note préliminaire sur les odonates de Camargue. Terre et Vie, Paris 1955: 287308.Google Scholar
Blake, G. M. 1959. Control of diapause by an 'internal clock' in Anthrenus verbasci (L.) (Col., Dermestidae). Nature, Lond. 183: 126127.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bradley, D. A., Woodbury, M. A., and Brier, G. W.. 1962. Lunar synodical period and widespread precipitation. Science 137: 748749.Google Scholar
Byers, C. F. 1941. Notes on the emergence and life history of the dragonfly Pantala flavescens. Proc. Fla Acad. Sci. 6: 1425.Google Scholar
Caspers, H. 1951. Rhythmische Erscheinungen in der Fortpflanzung von Clunio marinus (Dipt. Chiron.) und das Problem der lunaren Periodizität bei Organismen. Arch. Hydrobiol. Suppl. 18: 415594.Google Scholar
Corbet, P. S. 1954. Seasonal regulation in British dragonflies. Nature, Lond. 174: 655 (777).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Corbet, P. S. 1957a. The life-history of the Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator Leach (Odonata: Aeshnidae). J. Anim. Ecol. 26: 169.Google Scholar
Corbet, P. S. 1957b. The life-histories of two summer species of dragonfly (Odonata: Coenagriidae). Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. 128: 403418.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Corbet, P. S. 1957c. Duration of the aquatic stages of Povilla adusta Navás (Ephemeroptera: Polymitarcidae). Bull. ent. Res. 48: 243250.Google Scholar
Corbet, P. S. 1958a. Lunar periodicity of aquatic insects in Lake Victoria. Nature, Lond. 182: 330331.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Corbet, P. S. 1958b. Temperature in relation to seasonal development of British dragonflies (Odonata). Proc. 10th int. Congr. Ent. Montreal 2: 755757.Google Scholar
Corbet, P. S. 1962. A biology of dragonflies. Witherby, London.Google Scholar
Corbet, P. S., and Corbet, S. A.. 1958. Emergence of a summer species of dragonfly. Nature, Lond. 182: 194.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Corbet, S. A. 1959. The larval development and emergence of Aeshna cyanea Müll.) (Odon., Aeshnidae). Ent. mon. Mag. 95: 241245.Google Scholar
Fraenkel, G. 1932. Die Wanderungen der Insekten. Ergebn. Biol. 9: 1238.Google Scholar
Fremling, C. R. 1960. Biology of a large mayfly, Hexagenia bilineata (Say), of the Upper Mississippi River. Res. Bull. la agric. Exp. Sta. 482: 842852.Google Scholar
Fryer, G. 1959. Lunar rhythm of emergence, differential behaviour of the sexes, and other phenomena in the African midge, Chironomus brevibucca (Kieff.). Bull. ent. Res. 50: 18.Google Scholar
Hartland-Rowe, R. 1958. The biology of a tropical mayfly Povilla adusta Navás (Ephemeroptera, Polymitarcidae) with special reference to the lunar rhythm of emergence. Rev. Zool. Bot. afr. 58: 185202.Google Scholar
Hauenschild, C. 1960. Lunar periodicity. Cold Spr. Harb. Symp. quant. Biol. 25: 491497.Google Scholar
Hirvenoja, M. 1960a. Okologische Studien über die Wasserinsekten in Riihimäki (Südfinnland). 1. Chaoborinae (Dipt., Culicidae). Ann. ent. Fenn. 26: 3144.Google Scholar
Hirvenoja, M. 1960b. Massenauftreten von Corynocera ambigua Zett. (Dipt. Chironomidae) im See Sompiojärvi, Finnisch-Lappland. Ann. ent. Fenn. 26: 157163.Google Scholar
Hirvenoja, M. 1962. Ein Vergleich der Culiciden-Fauna einiger süd-und nordfinnischen Schmelzwasserlachen. Ann. ent. Fenn. 28: 97107.Google Scholar
Hora, S. L. 1927. Lunar periodicity in the reproduction of insects. J. Asiat. Soc. Beng. (n.s.) 23: 339341.Google Scholar
Hunt, B. P. 1953. The life history and economic importance of a burrowing mayfly, Hexagenia limbata, in southern Michigan lakes. Bull. Inst. Fish. Res. Univ. Mich. 4: 151 pp.Google Scholar
Ide, F. P. 1935. The effect of temperature on the distribution of the mayfly fauna of a stream. Publ. Ont. Fish. Res. Lab. 50: 376.Google Scholar
Ide, F. P. 1940. Quantitative determination of the insect fauna of rapid water. Publ. Ont. Fish. Res. Lab. 59: 20 pp.Google Scholar
Jenner, C. E. 1958. The effect of photoperiod on the duration of nymphal development in several species of Odonata. Quart. Pubn. Ass. S. Biol., Philadelphia 6: 26.Google Scholar
Jenner, C. E. 1960. Personal communication.Google Scholar
Johnson, C. 1963. A note on synchronized emergence in Gomphus vastus Walsh (Odonata: Gomphidae). Canad. Ent. 95: 69.Google Scholar
Judd, W. W. 1953. A study of the population of insects emerging as adults from the Dundas Marsh, Hamilton, Ontario, during 1948. Amer. Midl. Nat. 49: 801824.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Judd, W. W. 1960. A study of the population of insects emerging as adults from South Walker Pond at London, Ontario. Amer. Midl. Nat. 63: 194210.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Judd, W. W. 1961. Studies of the Byron Bog in Southwestern Ontario. XII. A study of the population of insects emerging as adults from Redmond's Pond in 1957. Amer. Midl. Nat. 65: 89100.Google Scholar
Judd, W. W. 1962. A study of the population of insects emerging as adults from Medway Creek at Arva, Ontario. Amer. Midl. Nat. 68: 463473.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lewis, D. J., Henry, A. J. and Grindley, D. N.. 1954. Daily changes in the numbers of Chironomid midges at Khartoum. Proc. R. ent. Soc. London. (A) 29: 124128.Google Scholar
Lindeberg, B. 1958. A new trap for collecting emerging insects from small rock-pools, with some examples of the results obtained. Ann. ent. Fenn. 24: 186191.Google Scholar
Lloyd, L. 1941. The seasonal rhythm of a fly (Spaniotoma minima) and some theoretical considerations. Trans. R. Soc. trop. Med. Hyg. 35: 93104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lyman, F. E. 1944. Effect of temperature on emergence of mayfly imagoes from the subimago stage. Ent. News 55: 113115.Google Scholar
Lyon, M. B. 1915. Miscellaneous notes on Odonata. Ent. News 26: 5662.Google Scholar
Macan, T. T. 1958. Causes and effects of short emergence periods in insects. Verh. internat. Ver. Limnol. 13: 845849.Google Scholar
Macan, T. T. 1960. The effect of temperature on Rhithrogena semicolorata (Ephem.). Int. Rev. Hydrobiol. 45: 197201.Google Scholar
Macdonald, W. W. 1956. Observations on the biology of chaoborids and chironomids in Lake Victoria and on the feeding habits of the ‘Elephant-snout Fish’ (Mormyrus kannume Forsk.). J. Anim. Ecol. 25: 3653.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martin, R. 1895. Une éclosion de libellules. Feuill. jeun. Nat. 25: 141142.Google Scholar
Miller, R. B. 1941. Some observations on Chaoborus punctipennis Say (Diptera, Culicidae). Canad. Ent. 73: 3739.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Montgomery, B. E., and Macklin, J. M.. 1962. Rates of development of the later instars of Neotetrum pulchellum (Drury) (Odonata, Libellulidae). Proc. N. Centr. Branch ent. Soc. Amer. 17: 2123.Google Scholar
Morgan, N. C., and Waddell, A. B.. 1961. Diurnal variation in the emergence of some aquatic insects. Trans. R. ent. Soc. Lond. 113: 123137.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mundie, J. H. 1956. Emergence traps for aquatic insects. Mitt. int. Ver. Limmol. 7: 13 pp.Google Scholar
Mundie, J. H. 1957. The ecology of Chironomidae in storage reservoirs. Trans. R. ent. Soc. Lond. 109: 149232.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Neave, F. 1932. A study of the mayflies (Hexagenia) of Lake Winnipeg. Contr. Canad. Biol. (n.s.) 7: 179201.Google Scholar
Needham, J. G. 1920. Burrowing mayflies of our larger lakes and streams. Bull. U. S. Bur. Fish. 36: 267292.Google Scholar
Nielsen, E. T. 1962. A note on the control of the chironomid Glyptotendipes paripes Edwards. Mosquito News 22: 114115.Google Scholar
Oka, H., and Hashimoto, H.. 1959 Lunare Periodizität in der Fortpflanzung einer pazifischen Art von Clunio. Biol. Zbl. 78: 545559.Google Scholar
Pajunen, V. I. 1962. Studies on the population ecology of Leucorrhinia dubia v.d. Lind. (Odon., Libellulidae). Ann. zool. Soc. zool.-bot. Vanamo 24: 179.Google Scholar
Provost, M. W., Lum, P. T. M. and Branch, N.. 1961. Rotation of male terminalia in Aedes taeniorhynchus (Diptera: Culicidae) as affected by temperature. Ann. ent. Soc. Amer. 54: 896900.Google Scholar
Remmert, H. 1962. Der Schlüpfrhythmus der Insekten. Wiesbaden, Franz Steiner.Google Scholar
Robert, A. 1960. Les trichoptères de la région du Lac Monroe, Parc du Mont Tremblant, Qué. Ann. Soc. ent. Québec 4: 4761.Google Scholar
Schaller, F. 1957. Préliminaires de la métamorphose chez les odonates. Observations sur les stades larvaires d'Aeschna cyanea Mull. (Odonata). Act. Soc. linn. Bordeaux 97: 114.Google Scholar
Tjønneland, A. 1960. The flight activity of mayflies as expressed in some East African species. Univ. Bergen Arbok, mat.-naturv. Ser. 1: 88 pp.Google Scholar
Tjønneland, A. 1961. Light trap catches of Neoperla spio (Newman) (Insecta, Plecoptera) at Jinja, Uganda. Contr. Facult. Sci., Univ. Coll. Addis Ababa (C) 1: 6 pp.Google Scholar
Tjønneland, A. 1962. The nocturnal flight activity and the lunar rhythm of emergence in the African midge, Conochironomus acutistilus (Freeman). Contr. Facult. Sci., Univ. Coll. Addis Ababa (C) 4: 21 pp.Google Scholar
Tokunaga, M., and Esaki, T.. 1936. A new midge from the Palau Islands, with its biological notes. Mushi 9: 5558.Google Scholar
Wynne-Edwards, V. C. 1962. Animal dispersion in relation to social behaviour. Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh and London.Google Scholar